The
White Shepherd, White Swiss Shepherd, also known as the Berger Blanc
Suisse,
is a direct descendant of the German Shepherd Dog. In the first
half of the twentieth century,
German cavalry officer Max von
Stephanitz, created the German Shepherd Dog using a variety of
German
sheepdogs as his foundation stock. Initially, color was not considered
as long as the dog
demonstrated working ability. During the late 30s,
however, the white color fell into disfavor.
And was disqualified from
the show ring in most registries.

There
were, however, always breeders who appreciated the beauty of the white
dogs
and who continued to breed them. Because of their exclusion from
most German Shepherd Dog
breeding programs, the whites rather quickly
evolved into a distinct type, and eventually into a separate breed.

Over
time in the USA and Canada White Shepherd dogs gradually began to be
accepted as a distinct and separate breed. The United Kennel Club
established the White Shepherd breed in 1999.
FCI gave the breed
provisional status in 2002, and full acceptance in 2011 as the Berger
Blanc Suisse (White Swiss Shepherd).

While
the White German shepherd does still exist, it is not a White Shepherd.
What makes a White Shepherd, White Swiss shepherd different is less
extreme in slope and angulation,
much like the dogs that were shown in
the early GSD ring during the 20's through the 60's.
The breed standard
stresses the importance of form following function, which is working
ability.
A White Shepherd dog that must have the agility, freedom of
movement, and endurance to do the
work required of it...balance,
strength, firmness of movement, and a working dog temperament.